How to jack up diesel to replace motor mount?

[outdoorsman37]

Hello. I have a Volvo Penta 2002 and need to replace the rear motor mount. Any idea how I can jack it up? There is very little room under the transmission and some room but not much up front but don't know if i can effectively jack up the rear from the front? The other idea I had was to use a come along or pulley from the boom to lift it? Any ideas would be helpful. I need a super small jack I guess (short)? Thanks.

[captain58sailin]

First thing you will need to do is uncouple the shaft flange. Can you supply some information regarding the boat you are trying to do this operation? Photos would be nice. My initial reaction would be; if you have overhead access, hoist it with a chain fall or come along or the equivalent. You will probably need to take the securing nuts off of the opposite side and the 2 front mounts to allow sufficient movement for removal.

[sailorchic34]

I've used the boom. The trick it to use the main halyard to carry the load. I wrapped 1/2" double braid 4 times around the boom, attached the halyard to the top. Added a clevis and a comealong ( I used my main sheet blocks). raised the boom to allow for stretch in the halyard. I used chain and rope connected to the engine lifting lugs, to hoist my engine. A comealong would work well.

Don't support the engine weight on the boom alone, bad thinks happen that way.

[Reefmagnet]

Yep, did the same as sailor chick. I used a lump of 4x2 across the companion way hatch and a spare mainsheet as the block and tackle. With the front mounts loosened, but acting as a pivot point i was able to raise the rear of the engine off its mounts. I just needed a piece of soft wood to protect the mainsheet and companion way where the mainsheet changed direction.

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk 2

[Terra Nova]

If your main halyard has a clear path, you can lift the engine easily.

Edit to add that, to control the main halyard, run it through a snap shackle whose line runs to a cleat or winch.

[glenn.225]

If you only need to raise it a little to replace the mount (if nothing else is in the way/connected) and you have a base to work with you can use an "air bag" (fender, inner tube, etc) and compressor/pump to lift it a couple of inches.
Make sure it is blocked well before you put fingers or other valuable parts in under it.

I've lifted lots of engines by this method, and it really surprising how well and quick it works to people the first time they see it.

Works to push dents out too if you can get behind them.

Edit: Wheel barrow tubes are about the right size.

[Doug Brown]

Instead of using the boom to attach a set of falls to, get a 4X4 piece of wood and place it across the hatch tracks. Be sure to put some padding under it. That way you won't bend the boom!

Loosen the top nut on all 4 motor mounts about 1/4", leaving the lower ones in place. You may need to spray them with penetrating oil first.

Remove the bolts (probably just 2) that are securing the bad mount you need to replace from the engine bed.

Attach the engine to either chain falls or a vang set up that has a locking clam cleat. Put heavy tension on the falls or vang so the engine is barely resting on the motor mounts, but hasn't moved upwards enough to effect the propshaft coupling. We're talking maybe 1/16" to 1/8" max.

Remove the 3 bolts holding the motor mount engine securing bracket to the engine.

You should now be able to move the entire engine mount and bracket around to slide it out of the engine compartment.

Re-installation is just the opposite. New motor mount onto bracket, mount and bracket back onto the engine, re-install the 3 securing screws, then re-install the 2 motor mount/engine bed screws, slack off and remove the falls/vang, re-tighten the top 3 nuts on the original motor mounts.

When you replaced the old mount, measure where the lower nut is. Set the lower nut on the new motor mount just slightly below where the old one was set at.

Once the other 3 original motor mounts have there top nuts secured, adjust the nuts on the new motor mount. Bring the bottom one "UP" so it touches the engine bracket and give it one more full turn "UP", then lower the top one "DOWN" and tighten.

NOTE: This is the "best case".

IF you can't get to the bolts that hold the bracket mounted to the engine, you will most likely have to raise the engine enough to get the bad mount out - which also means unfastening the propshaft coupling from the transmission.

Send me your e-mail address in a PM and I'll send you the Volvo factory page showing were all the bolts are for the motor mounts and the torque specs.

Happy Volvoing!

Doug

[UNCIVILIZED]

Instead of a "jack", in the proper sense, you can always get some stiff (thick) steel stock, drill it for threaded rod & bolts on both ends. And once you are sure that it's not going to slide out of place when loaded, use the bolts to lift things from both ends, a little bit at a time.
It's a bit more slim-line than a standard jack.

That, & or, use some pieces of U-channel instead of the flat stock. Even if you need to cut down the side ribs so that they're only 1/2" higher (or less) than the horizontal metal, flats. It'd still give them a lot more stiffness than just plain old flat stock. And needs be, have some longitudinal ribs welded down the inside length of the channel(s).
It/they work much like the sides of a bow roller channel do for adding to it's stiffness.

Plus with either setup, if you've got the room, & your steel stock is stiff & strong enough. Slide it underneath of whatever it is that you need to lift, with a good portion of it protruding out beyond the area which needs lifting. And then just use the bolt on one end to lift things.

Thus, you're using the steel stock as a lever in order to lift the load. And by using the bolt/threaded rod combo on the one end, you're "cheating" further, by using another lever, the thread on the rod, in order to do so. But hey, it works.
(Thread = [Rotary] Inclined Plane [aka Wedge] = Lever)

Different technique, albeit similar, Archimedes type tools. You can try & raise various items, which are REAL slim on clearance by using sets of wedges, opposing one another, plus a hammer/mallet. You might need to make the wedges out of metal, G10, sheet metal overtop of wood, or something else beefy. And even go so far as to grease them before use.
Just use caution with this technique, as it's possible to exert a LOT of load on a small amount of surface area without realizing it.

The wedges thing surely allowed me to exert Huge amounts of force in order to split massive logs, as a kid. So using two opposing ones in conjunction should let you lift things, assuming you're patient & precise.

[shakey doug]

That's a first'' Happy Volvoing'' LOL.

[boden36]

Similar to Glenn, deflate a basketball and then reinflate under the engine.

Regards,
Richard

[Sandero]

Last summer I replaced ALL the mounts on an Volvo MD17D. I was daunted at first by the task, asked lots of questions and when the mechanics I asked were too busy or refused to do it on a mooring.. meaning I'd have to tow the boat... I bit the bullet and did it myself. It worked out perfectly.

Here's what I did:

Ordered and obtained the correct matching mounts. (expensive)
removed whatever was interfering with getting at ALL the bolts at the brackets and the mounts.
You do the mounts one at a time... remove and replace
To replace MOUNTS you remove the BRACKETS which are bolted to the engine block... THEN remove the mount.
Since you removed them one at a time the engine need only be supported at the one missing mount. Use wood blocking. You don't need a jack or hoist/sling to hold the engine!
Get the correct size wrenches. You might need a section of pipe to slip on the end for more leverage. Access is not easy.
To raise the engine if needed use a heavy crow bar
detach the coupling to the prop shaft
TAKE MEASUREMENTS OF THE ENGINE POSITION TO THE BULKHEADS etc. FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
unbolt the top fastening / adjusting nut on the mount
undo the bolts connecting the bracket for that mount. Remove the bracket... (clean up and paint??) Unbolt the 2 bolts holding the mount to the stringer and lift the mount off.
Now the engine is supported by 3 mounts and shored with some wood blocking
Slip the new mount in place. Bolt it down into the old holes in the stringer.
Now you place the new height adjusting bolt into the new mount - tighten height adjustment bolt.
Slip the cleaned up painted) engine bracket over the bolt and then bolt it to the engine block with the old bolts.
You may / should be close on the height... But that will be adjusted in the alignment of the coupling process.
If the other three mounts did not move and the engine was properly blocked the height should be pretty close. You do the mounts one at a time to keep the position of the engine as close the aligned with the shaft as possible.
Repeat for each mount and adjust the lower nut on the height adjustment bolt up to the bottom of the engine bracket. It supports the engine!
Next pull the shaft and coupling forward to the matting part of the coupling attached to the engine transmission.

Alignment time.

Rotate the shaft to get the bolt holes to align. Insert the bolts and tighten them slowly pulling the prop shaft/coupling closed.
If the coupling doesn't mate EXACTLY...you have to perhaps jimmy the engine with a crow bar until the coupling bolts align enough to grab the threads and begin to tighten. Once they align the engine is reasonably aligned with the shaft.
Use feeler gauge between the plates of the coupling to make sure the gap is uniform to the tolerance specified. If the gap is not uniform the shaft is out of alignment (slightly).Use a long crowbar with sufficient leverage to lift or jimmy the engine side to side or adjust the height of the engine mount bolts until the gap is to spec.
Check your engine position against your reference measurements. It should be the same as the REFERENCE MEASUREMENTS. If NOT YOUR ENGINE IS IN A NEW POSITION RELATIVE TO THE SHAFT
When you've got the engine in the old position AND the gap is to spec on the prop shaft coupling you dog down all the bolts - HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT BOLTS AND MOUNT TO STRINGER BOLTS AND FINALLY SHAFT COUPLING BOLTS.
If you got this right the dripless shaft (if you have one and not a stuffing box) will also be aligned and not drip water. Alignment of the dripless shaft - no leaking - is another tell that your engine is in the correct position.

This takes time and patience but if I could do this... ANYONE can.
Take photos before during and after.

Your MAIN concerns are a leaking shaft seal and vibration from misalignment.

However, after the mounts were replaced there was no PSS shaft seal dripping (proper alignment) and less vibration and noise. SUCCESS.
Mounts were expensive. Two of mine were broken.
Saved myself a few thousand in mechanic's labor and got the job done.

Message me if you have any other questions.

NB

YOU DO NOT NEED TO REMOVE ALL ALL MOUNTS AT ONE TIME AND HANG THE ENGINE FROM ANYTHING. THIS IS NOT NECESSARY. YOU REPLACE MOUNTS ONE AT A TIME... SUPPORT ENGINE WITH BLOCKING AND USE A CROW BAR TO MAKE MINOR VERTICAL AND LATERAL POSITION ADJUSTMENTS.

The front and rear mounts are NOT the same part!

[danhaun]

3X on this one. A basketball jack is a priceless tool for this.

[rwidman]

A friend of mine raised his engine by rigging a couple of 2X10s on blocks on the deck and then using two "comealongs" around the 2X10s. Each boat is different of course and so is each engine. The engine may have lifting points on it already. Just connect to them.


I wouldn't try lifting it from the bottom, you might crush the oil pan.

[Sandero]

Originally Posted by rwidman

A friend of mine raised his engine by rigging a couple of 2X10s on blocks on the deck and then using two "comealongs" around the 2X10s. Each boat is different of course and so is each engine. The engine may have lifting points on it already. Just connect to them.


I wouldn't try lifting it from the bottom, you might crush the oil pan.

The OP was about a Volvo engine and I did the mounts on a the MD17D. You don't have to lift the engine. You don't have to hang the engine. Sure you don't want to crack or crush the oil pan... but if you distribute the support for the shoring blocks it works fine.
You don't have to UNDO do all the mounts in this engine, raise it to replace a single mount.

The engine DOES have a lifting "ring" on top for installation and removal. You don't have to use this.

[Cestmoi]

I have lifted many engines with the preferred method (like sailorchick and reefmagnet) however a different approach and maybe safer and easier since not as much involved may be a deflated fender under the engine and reinflate the fender with small blocks to sustain the load while working. You still have to do all the mechanical stuff ie the shaft, engine mounts etc prior to the lift. I have seen heavy loads lifted with inflatables. When I need to take my engine out again I will try this method. Just thinking outside the box.

Good luck, safety first!